


Albion Coffee Shop

by Lighthouse_on_the_sea



Series: Once and future husbands [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, arthur sin't gay, until he meets Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-11-07 20:02:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20822999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lighthouse_on_the_sea/pseuds/Lighthouse_on_the_sea
Summary: Arthur wasn’t gay and and he was more of a tea type than a coffee type, so what was he doing in a coffee shop using the menu as a hiding place to spy the movements of the handsome raven-haired waiter ?





	Albion Coffee Shop

**Author's Note:**

> This story was part of "A Thousand Ways to Say Merthur" but my English really sucked, so I canceled the job and rearranged the stories so that they sucked less.  
I believe I will publish the most beautiful as individual stories and no longer as a collection.
> 
> LOTS

[ ](https://ibb.co/M8X9LFD)

* * *

Arthur wasn’t gay and and he was more a tea type, than a coffee type, so what was he doing in a coffee shop using the menu as a hiding place to spy the movements of the handsome raven-haired waiter?

it was obviously Gwaine's fault, it was always Gwaine's fault.

"Princess, do you want to memorize all the Albion Coffee's drinks or we can order?" asked Gwaine, sitted in front of him, crossing his legs "We can order" muttered Arthur, lowering the menu to take another look at the boy and simultaneously glaring at his friend.

Gwaine bursted out laughing, attracting the attention of all the customers inside the caffe, including the handsome waiter, who looked at Arthur with a cute, confused look "If you plan to continue staring at Merlin as if he were a muffin and you the most hungry person on the face of the Earth, please tell me, so maybe I'll introduce you" Gwain said with a wink nodding towards the waiter "I don't look at him like that! And I am not even gay!" Spluttered Arthur blushing "And I am Queen Elizabeth the II! Please Arthur, don't lie to uncle Gwaine".

The Pendragon slumped on the table and buried his head in his arms "It's all your and Parcifal's fault! It was you who pulled me to your rainbow and unicorn side. I have always been Arthur, the impossible guy, the most desired by every girl! And now look at me! I'm here drooling over a guy!"

"I would appreciate you could avoid doing it on my table, it's up to me clean it"

"Maybe he could do it on your ass" whispered Gwaine so low that only Arthur could hear.

Suddenly Arthur jerked his head up, finding himself in front of two very blu and very amused eyes

"Hi Merlin! How are you?" Asked Gwaine patting the other man's- Merlin's- forearm "I'm fine, Gwaine, you? What are you up to these days?"

"Everything's fine, Merls, and you know, now I'm a serious man, I will soon ask Percy to marry me"

"That's awesome! By the way, what can I bring you?"

"The usual" replied Gwaine with a grin.

Merlin, then turned to Arthur "I've never seen you here, but I think that, after looking at the menu for so long, you have decided what you want" hearing those words, Arthur wished to die; not only seen up close, the handsome waiter was even more handsome, but he had also noticed him spying from behind the menu!

With a moan, more like the lament of a dying animal than anything else, Arthur dropped his head back onto the table which hit the woods-like material with a loud –TOC.

Merlin's eyes widened worried and he focused on Gwaine "Is your friend ok?" he asked "I think so, I believe is only in the middle of a sexual identity crisis.

He discovered 10 minutes ago that he was gay and fell into this pitiful state"

"Fuck off, Gwaine" the Pendragon mumbled from the intertwining of his arms.

Merlin laughed and put a hand on Arthur's back "Well, welcome on the team!" that said the waiter walked towards the counter, to start preparing, Arthur and Gwaine's orders.

* * *

"I'm back with your orders" Merlin cheerfully announced, returning to the table with the two men's orders "For you, Gwaine, I brought the usual: a Green Knight and a mini apple pie.

And before you ask, yes, I have putted extra matcha in your latte...

While for your friend here, who read the menu for hours without deciding what to order... I brought a King Arthur and a double chocolate muffin with strawberry's jelly heart" said the waiter, putting everything down on the small table.

"Wow Merlin, you couldn't have chosen something more perfect!” exclaimed Gwaine, laughing 

“Yeah?” asked Merlin, confused “Yes ... my name is Arthur, so you know, my friends like to joke about the whole King Arthur thing.

Nice to meet you, by the way“ said Arthur, lifting his head from the table and reaching out to shake Merlin’s hand, who smiled.

And God, Arthur had never seen a more beautiful smile “Well, as you have already understood, my name is Merlin.

Nice to meet you too, and don't worry I was also bullied with the Arcturian Legends by my friends.

You were lucky, at least you were compared to a king, not to a grumpy, old sorcerer!” Arthur smiled and two stared at each other for a while.

“Merlin! At the counter we run out of vanilla muffins!”

“I'm coming Freya! Excuse me but I have to run away, today it’s on me.

I hope to see you again soon Arthur, Goodbye Gwaine!” that said, the waiter ran to the counter and disappeared behind the door with "Wizzard’s lab" wrote on it, with a delicious blue pointed hat and some stars.

* * *

Merlin had never believed in love at first sight, yet when his eyes had settled on the blond man sitting at the table with Gwaine, his heart fluttered.

For a week after meeting Arthur, he had done nothing but think about when they would meet again.

“Merlin, you've had a strange expression for a while now… Are you suffering a stroke or have you met someone?” asked Freya entering the kitchen while Merlin was starring at a baking pan of heart-shaped cookies “Maybe both, I have met someone and I could suffer a stroke if I see him”.

The bell on the coffee-shop’s door, rang, indicating a guest's arrival.

Fraya leaned out of the small laboratory window to look at the newcomer “Is your mysterious man: blond, with broad shoulders and blue eyes?” she asked “Mmmm, Yes why?” asked Merlin, confused “Because he just entered”

“WHAT!?” exclaimed Merlin, grabbing his chest “Should I call an ambulance?” replied Freya “No, no, no need. How do I look?”

“Handsome as always. Now go and make him fall at your feet” that said, the girl pushed Merlin out, without giving him the chance to take off his dirty apron.

Clumsy as always, Merlin landed graceless on the counter, right in front of Arthur.

“Hello Arthur” 

“Hei” said the latter trying not to laugh “Nice apron” added then, noticing Merlin's pink apron “Oh God” whispered Merlin taking off his apron and throwing it in the kitchen.

The blond leaned slightly over the counter and said “Merlin, you have flour on your nose”

“Sorry, I was baking.

What can I do to you today?” Merlin ran his hands over his face trying to remove the flour “Today at the office will be an impossible day, so I would say: a King Arthur and something to help me overcome it”

“On his way”.

* * *

Soon that became their routine.

Every morning, Arhur showed up at the small Albion Caffè, ordered his King Arthur and any sweet Merlin had just baked.

For his part, Merlin had tried everything to make Arthur noticing his interest.

He started in a veiled manner, drawing hearts on his coffee or proposing him sweet with an evocative name, like: "Kiss on the lips”, “Date me", "My chocolate love" ec .. both Arthur seemed to not understand.

So, as the months passed, Merlin tried to be a little more explicitly with notes on the sweet napkin, but nothing.

“That's enough Merlin, you can't keep being so bessotted with him!”

“What can I do, Frey? I don't know how to explain how I feel about him.

It’s as if I knew him forever, as if he were what I miss to be complete, but that giant dollop head doesn’t understand my signals!” Merlin complained, dusting the top of Arthur’s coffee with cocoa.

“Promise me that, if he doesn’t notice this, you will openly declare your affection or at least stop pining for him!” Freya declared with a little too high voice “Ssssch! Are you crazy!? You want the whole cafe to know that I have a crush on…”

You have a crush on?” Asked a too familiar voice, behind him.

Merlin blushed “Ehm… for…” he stammered trying to find a plausible excuse “For the cinnamon biscuits! They my favorite”

“Perfect, for a moment I thought that I had to beat up some love rivals.

Oh, is that my King Arthur?” said Arthur, totally ignoring Merlin shocked expression and grabbing his coffee.

“And Merlin” Arthur started again, with a foot already on the door “Would you like to have lunch together tomorrow?”

“Y-yes” stammered Merlin, still shocked “Perfect. And, by the way, I'm not the only one who doesn't get the signals, you don't see what's right under your nose” Arthur said, drinking his coffee “See you tomorrow, coffee wizard” that said, he exited the coffee shop.

Merlin looked at Freya's face with a questioning look “Don't ask me, I'm not understanding anything, either” said the girl returning to serve the customers at the counter.

The waiter took the plate left by Arthur, to put it in the dishwasher, and, to his surprise, he noticed a folded piece of paper on the edge of it, he opened it.

Inside, written with an elegant and neat calligraphy, he found a number: "Call me if you like".

Merlin smiled.


End file.
